Denis Suarez, the first sign of FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona have re-signed Denis Suarez from Villarreal and the player passed his medical on Tuesday morning.

The tests were split into two parts, with the first examinations taking place at a Barcelona hospital and the second at the club's Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training facility.

After completing the medical process, the 22-year-old's busy day continued with a lunchtime photo session at the Camp Nou.

On Wednesday, the midfielder will be presented in a Barcelona shirt to the club's fans at the stadium.

Although Suarez departed the Catalan club last summer, La Blaugrana activated his buy-back clause for 3.25 million euros.

The move from Villarreal - where he made 48 appearances, provided 13 assists and scored five goals in the last campaign - was officially announced on Monday, ending weeks of speculation.

On the other hand, formerly La Masia de Can Planes and now the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, have been responsible for developing some of the greatest players in club history as well as the Spain team in recent years.

Their style of playing is recognised worldwide with other clubs seeking to follow their footballing model, and so the seed was planted to go global to share the philosophy of the club - leading to FCBEscola being launched.

There is also a commercial element as some of the 8,000-plus children who pass the initial test could interest the club in the future.

To date, there are 23 schools in Europe, Africa, Canada, USA, south and central America, and Asia, although three will not open their doors until September.

"We want to grow in the USA and China, which is a potential market," explained project director Oscar Grau.

These schools are aimed at children between six and 14 years old with Barcelona-trained coaches travelling to implement each of the projects and make sure they adhere to the club ethic.

The sports director in charge of each school also has to teach the local coaches about Barcelona's methodology and supervise training.

"It is not a simple franchise in the countries where we run the schools," said Grau.

"We have control and stamp our authority on the style of play, so they function just like La Masia.

"We also share the values which are representative of the club - tolerance, respect, solidarity, friendship, fair play, integration, hard work and happiness."

Messi and Suarez did not attend the celebration at the Camp Nou

The Argentine star was laid low by a late illness, while Luis Suarez, who has injured his right hamstring, was kept out of it on the recommendation of the medics.

Two of Barcelona's best two players this season were not at the Camp Nou party on Monday night. Leo Messi and Luis Suarez. 

The Argentine star was laid low by a late illness, while Luis Suarez, who has injured his right hamstring, was kept out of it on the recommendation of the medics.

Lionel Messi arrived at Camp Nou with his team-mates, but started to feel bad and with the permission of the club went back home to rest.

Rafinha, meanwhile, has flown to the United States to join up with the Brazilian national team at the Copa America, so was not there either.

Likewise Arda Turan and Thomas Vermaelen, who were given permission not to attend for personal motives. 

The rest of the club's squad and technical staff were there to enjoy the party, with around 50,000 fans.

On the other hand, Gerard Pique and Neymar fired messages to the Madrid media cavern as Barcelona celebrated their double win with a party at Camp Nou.

They presented fans the Spanish Cup and La Liga trophies on Monday night and some members of the squad gave speeches.

As well as manager Luis Enrique and captain Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Neymar and Daniel Alves were among the players to take the microphone.

Gerard Pique and Neymar both looked to settle some scorers. The former said: "They always complain that we play against 10 and yesterday we were the ones who had to play with 10. And what happened? We won again."

Neymar, meanwhile, put an end to the rumours being spread that he might leave the club.

"I am very happy at this club," he said. "It's an honour to win titles and share them with Cules. I am Barça. Visca Catalunya."

Marc ter Stegen replace Claudio Bravo in goal

The Chilean may miss next Sunday's derby against Espanyol, the first of two games left in La Liga with the Catalans fighting to win the title.

Claudio's injury against Real Betis on Saturday has swung the door wide open for fellow goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make his mark.

He suffered muscle pains in his right leg during Saturday's game against Real Betis and was replaced by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Tests on Sunday showed he has injured his right calf but Barcelona will not say how long he could be out for, merely suggesting that "his recovery will determine whether he is available for the next games."

The Chilean came off with two minutes remaining at the Estadio Benito Villamarin due to a calf strain and was replaced by ter Stegen, who helped see out a 2-0 win for the Catalans. The German came to Catalonia ready-made for the final three crunch games of the season for Barcelona.

Three crucial games that could land the club the league and cup double.

Of the five finals played by the Blaugrana last year, Ter Stegen missed just one after being unexpectedly unseated by Bravo for the Club World Cup in Japan. He also only lost the Supercup of Spain to Athletic Club thanks in part to conceding four goals in the first-leg, leaving Barcelona without a second calendar year finish of six trophies in their history.

Ter Stegen shouldn't have any nerves going into the closing stages of the season given his experience, and coach Luis Enrique has already said he is confident in the 24-year-old's abilities.

If a final flourish is still not enough to force his way into the number one spot permanently, ter Stegen will start to look elsewhere for other opportunities - and Pep Guardiola is already reportedly keen to take him to Manchester City next season.

Aleix Vidal has once again been left out of the squad

On the other hand, FC Barcelona continue to be interested in signing Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels.

Aleix Vidal, one of the signings made by FC Barcelona this season, has once again been left out of the squad by Luis Enrique.

Unless there is more news later, it appears the former Sevilla man has been omitted for technical reasons. A surprising decision, given Barça’s current problems at right-back, with Dani Alves’ form and off the pitch behaviour under the microscope. 

What has happened? For now, no-one can find an explanation. However, the numbers show that, at the moment, Vidal, who was signed to cover Alves when absent, is last place in the full-back rankings.

Luis Enrique prefers Sergi Roberto, a midfielder playing out of position, to him. This was shown in the defeat to Valencia. 

As we wait for an official explanation, facts demonstrate that Aleix Vidal could be one of the players Luis Enrique was referring to when asked about the Marc Bartra’s case.

We don’t know if his case, though, has been influenced also by his famous appearance in a Gerard Pique Periscope, when he joked about being a substitute. Whatever it is, it seems clear he has lost Luis Enrique’s faith.

On the other hand, FC Barcelona continue to be interested in signing Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels, as they look to bolster their defence for next season.

The German defender has been on the Spanish champions' shortlist for a number of years, and while ex-director of football Andoni Zubizarreta tried to lure him to the Camp Nou while he was at Bayern Munich, he eventually chose Dortmund in 2009 following a short loan spell.

According to German newspaper Bild, FC Barcelona continue to track the 27-year-old, whose contract expires in 2017 and are likely to make a summer move.

FC Barcelona's current technical director, Roberto Fernandez, is said to be extremely interested in the services of the German, but FC Barcelona will have to hold off stiff competition from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.

Neymar will stay at FC Barcelona

Josep Maria Bartomeu insists Neymar will not be leaving Barcelona, despite interest from many sides, including PSG. 

"If someone wants to negotiate with Neymar, we will not give them permission," he told Globo Esporte. "Neymar will stay at FC Barcelona."

The reaction came after one of Neymar's representatives, Wagner Ribeiro had spoken to L'Equipe, saying Neymar would like to live in Paris. "Neymar has a contract with Barca until 2018," Ribeiro said. "He feels good in Barcelona, he's loved over there and he's playing for the best team in the world. It's no small feat to impose yourself at such an enormous club.

On the other hand, Luis Suarez says FC Barcelona will be 'relaxed' in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid. The striker, who netted two goals to win the Blaugrana the first leg after Fernando Torres opened the scoring, spoke on Spanish television after the game.

"The return will be a similar game to today’s," he said. “But we are relaxed as we they will be obliged to attack to win the game. If we score one, they will have to score two."

Luis Suarez admitted this was a tricky game but Torres' first-half red card led to FC Barcelona gaining a big advantage. He said: "Obviously a sending off in the first will affect the game, even more when it’s a great player. Everyone knows his quality, but he made two heavy fouls. It was a pity - I would have liked to come back with 11."

To end, Gerard Pique gave an interview to his former Manchester United team-mate and current BT Sport collaborator, Rio Ferdinand. Among other topics, Lionel Messi came up. Ferdinand asked who was better, the Argentine or Cristiano Ronaldo, and Pique had no doubts.

"Both are impressive, we are talking not just about the best players not just in this moment, but in history," said Pique. "I always say the same, for me, Messi is not human, while Cristiano is just the best among the humans."

FC Barcelona, 18 players off to represent their countries

A total of 18 Barça players will be packing their bags, not to return to the Joan Gamper training ground until next week.

Sergi Roberto has thanked Barcelona manager Luis Enrique for playing “a large part” in his ascent to the Spain national team. 

After impressing for Barça in a range of positions this season, Vicente del Bosque named Roberto in his squad for this week’s friendlies against Italy and Romania.

“This season, Luis Enrique has given me confidence and I’m playing a lot, in whatever position that may be, midfield or right-back,” the midfielder said at a press conference on Monday. 

“If you play for your team and you do well, you have the chance to be recognised by the national team. Luis Enrique is a large part of the reason I am here and I’m really grateful to him.” 

Despite Euro 2016 in France being just around the corner, the Catalan isn’t looking to far into the future and is just focused on aiding La Roja over the next 10 days. 

“I am really grateful for the opportunity and I hope I can help the team,” he added. “It’s a dream for me to be here. We have to prepare for these games as if they were the European Championships and give our all.”

A total of 18 Barcelona players have been called up for their international sides over the next 10 days. While European sides will play two friendlies, the South American nations have important qualifiers for the World Cup in Russia in 2018. 

FC Barcelona international are: Gerard Pique, Marc Bartra, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto, Munir (Spain), Arda Turan (Turkey), Ter Stegen (Germany), Mathieu (France), Vermaelen (Belgium), Neymar, Dani Alves and Rafinha (Brazil), Leo Messi and Mascherano (Argentina), Luis Suarez (Uruguay) and Claudio Bravo (Chile).  A total of 18 FC Barcelona players will be packing their bags, not to return to the Joan Gamper training ground until next week.

Premier League clubs are interested in Marc Andre Ter Stegen

On the other hand, Adriano has put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension at FC Barcelona.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo's battle to be Barcelona's goalkeeper has put Europe's biggest clubs on alert. The German has not shut the door to a possible exit in the summer, even though FC Barcelona don't want to let him go.

Various Premier League clubs are interested in him, with Manchester United the latest to join the list. According to the Daily Mirror, Ter Stegen's people have had an informal first contact with the Red Devils.

Borussia Dortmund would also like Ter Stegen, but the player is not intent on returning to Germany for now. He wants to keep developing in other leagues. Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp in charge, have been heavily linked with Ter Stegen.

On the other hand, Adriano has put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension at FC Barcelona.

The Brazilian defender's deal expired in the summer but he had the choice to add one additional year, which takes him up to summer 2017. He has duly done so, as foreseen by Sport, and FC Barcelona announced it on Wednesday afternoon.

Adriano has featured in 18 games this season, nine as a starter, and also scored in the 6-1 rout of Roma. 

One of the reasons he decided to stay was that his family are comfortable in the city and he gets along well with the rest of the dressing room - including the many Brazilians.

To conclude, FC Barcelona sporting director Robert Fernandez is in Munich to cast an eye over a potential Barcelona signing. He has travelled to Germany to take in the Champions League clash between Bayern Munich and Juventus, where he will get the chance to watch Joshua Kimmich live.

FC Barcelona want to see him play in a big game, as Wednesday night's game is against the Serie A leaders, to see just how far the 21-year-old has evolved. 

Robert feels he could prove to be the perfect option to replace Javier Mascherano one day due to the versatility he offers. 

He began his career as a central midfielder, but Pep Guardiola has converted him into a centre-back. He's good on the ball and would be able to fulfill Mascherano's role in the Barcelona squad. 

Pique and Jordi Alba celebrated FC Barcelona's win

Meanwhile, FC Barcelona boss said that he was also pleased with the performance of his players

Gerard Pique celebrated Barcelona's win over Eibar saying the team wanted to win the league as soon as possible athough he added that the title race hasn't been decided.

"Our objective is to finish the league as soon as we can, the situation is good and we have to continue in this line," he said in the Ipurua mixed zone. 

"We don't rule out any team that mathmatically can win the league, we know that there are two and a half months of competition left and that we're in a good position, but it's not over."

He added: "We played a good game in a difficult stadium. We were concentrating from the start, nobody relaxed."

Pique also congratulated Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez who are fighting with Cristiano Ronaldo for the Pichichi. "However many more goals those two can score, the better it is for the team," he said. 

On the other hand, FC Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba said after Sunday’s win at Ipurua against Eibar that the secret to the side’s success and their charge towards the La Liga title “is that we all get on really well.”  Jordi Alba emphasised the team’s work rate against Eibar and celebrated the good run that the side are currently on - 11 straight wins in the league and 36 matches unbeaten in all competitions.  

“We’re doing well and we are enjoying a good dynamic. We want to win the league as soon as possible, but we know there is still a long way to go,” he added.

He also refused to rule Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid out of tracking Luis Enrique’s side down at the top: “While it’s still mathematically possible, you have to keep them in mind.”

To finalise, The FC Barcelona manager saw his side thrash Eibar 4-0 at Ipurua but said there would be nobody who believed the race for the league trophy will be over before it mathematically is.

"There are 30 points left to play for, the team knows that. We won't get distracted by thinking we're champions ahead of time," explained the coach.

He was also pleased with the performance of his players and, like after the Eibar game, explained that few teams can stop them in this form. They have now gone 36 games unbeaten. 

FC Barcelona is breaking records again

On the other hand, If everyone was at the level of Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona would win every title before each season started.

Being eight points ahead of the second-placed team, and 12 ahead of Real Madrid, would seem not to be enough for a FC Barcelona side for whom not even the sky appears to be the limit.

Luis Enrique's boys are beating records at the same rate at which they are winning matches. Not a day goes by without another milestone being passed. Having gone half the season without tasting defeat, Barcelona have now equalled the Spanish record of 34 games without losing in all competitions, notched up by Real Madrid under Leo Beenhakker.

In the 1988-89 season, Real Madrid had a run of 25 wins and nine draws, and now Barcelona have improved on those figures with a sequence of 28 victories and six draws.

On the other hand, If everyone was at the level of Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona would win every title before each season started. But no. There is only one Messi. Leo is unique and irreplaceable. He’s the best player in the world. And probably in history. And there is absolutely no-one at his level. Even the best of the ‘mortals’ are light years behind Messi, who in each game surprises us with works of art. 

On Sunday, Messi ‘invented’ a magical free kick. When FC Barcelona were losing, Leo stepped up, once more, and took responsibility, executing an inimitable set piece. It was the start of the comeback. The first step towards a victory which leaves FC Barcelona 12 points clear of Real Madrid and keeps them eight ahead of Atletico Madrid with just 12 games to go. 

Lionel Messi is capable of everything. Even of fixing his team-mates’ mess. But in contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo, he doesn’t brag about it. He doesn’t criticise other players’ errors. Even though he could. But Messi is not like that. Because for Leo Messi, the objective is for the team to do well above individuals. And Messi knows that if FC Barcelona win, Lionel Messi wins. For that reason, he serves up all his magic for the good of the team.

The Uruguayan international has plenty of personal motivation

Suárez's record against Arsenal reads three defeats, two draws and two wins in seven meetings. 

Luis Suarez's love affair with the back of the net is still going strong. He is the top scorer in Spain with 25 Liga BBVA goals, which also puts him out in front in the European Golden Shoe rankings, and has netted in his last seven appearances, which have yielded no fewer than a dozen goals.

Over and above his prolific scoring exploits, expert observers are also quick to praise Suárez's tireless pressing when the opposition try to bring the ball out, which plays a key role in helping FC Barcelona to win back possession high up the pitch. We also mustn't forget another of his qualities, his unselfishness: The 29-year-old is not hell-bent on finding the net himself and is just as happy setting up his strike partners, as shown by his high assist count.

Other impressive Luis Suarez attributes are his physical prowess and sturdiness, which enable him to hold off defenders and help explain why he is rarely injured, despite being one of the players used most often by Luis Enrique.

The Uruguayan has only missed seven games this season and none of them were because of injury: two were through suspension, while he was rested for the other five. 

Nevertheless, even though he himself hasn't been blunted, he is aware that fatigue threatens to take its toll on Barcelona and may have had a hand in their laboured performance in Las Palmas. As he put it afterwards, "It's no excuse, but everyone knows we've had a lot of matches in the past month and a half. What's important is that the team keep on picking up the points".

Luis Suárez's enduring form and energy are among the reasons why Barcelona will be in a confident mood going into their clash with Arsenal. The Uruguay international has plenty of personal motivation as he prepares to return to the Emirates, having not enjoyed the best of times against the Gunners during his time with Liverpool, not to mention the transfer saga over the North Londoners' failed attempt to trigger his buyout clause in the summer of 2013.

Leo Messi has no limits

Luckily, Barcelona can call on a ‘beast’ called Messi, who is capable of solving even the most difficult problems.

Leo Messi is the best football player in the world. And in history. And those who deny that are blind. Or don’t understand football. Or, simply, are Real Madrid fans incapable of recognising the reality: Lionel Messi has done so well at FC Barcelona that he has made Real Madrid’s most glorious pages look less significant. Because Leo Messi is a wizard. A genius. He demonstrates it in every game. Beating records and making incredible plays. Impossible for the rest of the mortals, but not for him, clearly. 

Plays like those that helped FC Barcelona beat Celta Vigo at camp nou. It was a difficult win and Messi played the lead role. He scored the first goal from a fantastic free kick and gave a ‘PlayStation’ assist for the second goal, scored by Luis Suarez.

He once again made it clear that he is a long way above any other player on the planet. His recital continued with another perfect pass for Neymar, which ended up with Suarez ‘robbing’ the Brazilian for another goal. And he emulated Johan Cruyff’s famous penalty by passing to Suarez from the spot. 

Barcelona have struggled in some recent games. With the exception of the hammering of Valencia, the Bluagrana made hard work of wins against Malaga, Atletico and even Levante. They have lacked fluidity and pressure and there have been individual errors. Fortunately, Luis Enrique’s side have shown their competitive spirit. They have won without playing well.

After wins for Madrid (4-2 against Athletic) and Atletico (1-0 against Getafe), FC Barcelona were obliged to win in order to maintain their lead at the top. And the Galicians, who won 4-1 in the meeting at Balaidos earlier this season, once again turned up against Luis Enrique’s side. Luckily, FC Barcelona can call on a ‘beast’ called Messi, who is capable of solving even the most difficult problems.

Neymar scores points against Super Bowl stars

While, the player most used by the FC Barcelona coach is midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who has only missed 13 of the 100 games in Luis Enrique's reign. 

FC Barcelona forward Neymar was one of the stars to feature - in one way or another - in Super Bowl 50. He wasn't involved in the event itself, but he did appear in one of the adverts - which are a big deal in America.

While the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers battled on the pitch, Neymar was present in an advert for fast-food chain Taco Bell. To air an advert during the Super Bowl costs five million dollars for every 30 seconds. 

Neymar's appearance was fleeting, but his message was clear: "The real football" in refence to Americans calling the sport soccer. The Brazilian could take part in the American Cup in the States this summer.

On the other hand, any FC Barcelona fan, asked about the player most picked by Luis Enrique, would answer: "Leo Messi". However, that is not the case. The player most used by the Asturian coach is Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who has only missed 13 of the 100 games in Luis Enrique's reign. 

The second most used, yes, is Lionel Messi who has only played two games less than the Croatian, on 85. In the group that have played 80 per cent or more, are Sergio Busquets, on 81, and Neymar, 80.

All the most used footballers in the top 10 form, logically, his gala XI. Further away from the top of the list are the goalkeepers, who get rotated with each other a lot. Claudio Bravo has played 58 times, Ter Stegen 38. Sergi Roberto is the most used outfield player beyond the top 10, having featured 51 times for Luis Enrique

To end, the Catalans face Valencia at Mestalla on Wednesday in their Spanish Cup semi-final return leg, with the tie all but decided. That is why Luis Enrique plans to rest some of his theoretical first-choice players. With that in mind, Barça B's Sergi Samper, Gerard Gumbau, Wilfrid Kaptoum, Juan Cámara and Daniel Romera all trained with the first team on Monday and some of those players could be named in the squad for Wednesday's trip to Valencia.